The Wedding Secret (4 page)

Harper stood, her back ramrod straight. “Actually, I’m the
bitch
running this thing.” She extended her hand to Kari. “I’m Harper Poole, Reliance’s director of operations. The table seating can’t be changed at this time. I’m so sorry.”

Thank God
, Kevin thought. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped at dinner listening to Kari’s neuron-killing chatter.

“That’s not very hospitable. Fix it.” Kari flicked her fingers through her hair, brandishing her long nails like they were weapons, and then folded her arms in an attempt to intimidate Harper. That was actually pretty funny.

“I beg your pardon?” Harper took a step forward, and Kevin backed away from the two women. This had the potential to get ugly, and while Harper was still being the gracious event hostess, he could see her jaw tense.

“I said you should fix it,” Kari snapped.

“Ms. Martin, perhaps you’re forgetting why you’re here?”

The transformation happened in a flash—in one second the hostess was gone and the hard-nosed executive stepped in.

“I understand—I’m supposed to mingle with the guests. Well, I want to mingle with
that
guest,” she said and pointed her red fingernail right at him.

Harper chuckled. “Unfortunately, you are being very well paid to mingle with the company’s
clients
. I suggest you remember that little tidbit of information or I will let your agent know you are in breach of contract.”

“You really are a bitch,” Kari spat out. “Trying to keep him for yourself, is that it?”

Harper rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, and Kevin’s first instinct was to jump in and come to her defense. This girl had a serious case of nasty, and although Harper was keeping it together pretty well, she didn’t deserve this.

Harper had taken a long pause and the way Kevin saw it, it looked like Kari thought she’d intimidated her, but he knew better and saw Harper’s strength when she leveled a stare at the girl. “I’ll see you at dinner, Ms. Martin. You’re seated with some very nice executives from a French bank. I think you’ll enjoy their company.” Damn. She was one cool customer.

Kari glared at him, waiting for some support.

Yeah, not happening.

After all his years in the public eye, the years of being treated like he was something special because he could hit a ball, he still couldn’t get his head around the way some celebrities acted. Kari was the perfect example—
spoiled
and
entitled
were just two words he could apply to her.

She stormed out when he didn’t respond fast enough, and Harper let out a long breath and rubbed at her temples. She looked like she needed a hot bath, a glass of wine, and a mind-blowing orgasm, and Kevin would have been more than happy to help her out.

Instead he stood in front of her and let his hands travel around her neck. She started to pull away but stopped as his fingers gently rubbed at the tension in the muscles. “Stay still for a minute and let me help.” She was about to object, but stopped when he pulled her a little closer. “You handled her really well.”

“Thanks. I could still have a scene on my hands, but I guess I’ll see,” she said softly, letting herself relax into his hands. He expected when she finally thought about how close they were, she’d run like a scared rabbit, but right then, touching her felt good, and he guessed for the first time that day, someone was taking care of her. It was a win for both of them. It took a few more seconds before her body straightened and she looked into his eyes. “I should get back,” she said.

“You
are
the one in charge,” he joked.

“The bitch in charge.” Harper added. She gave him a wide smile and Kevin felt his heart squeeze tight.

He released her and offered his arm, figuring she couldn’t complain about him simply acting like a gentleman. What was he thinking? Of course she could, but the look in her eyes told him she wouldn’t.

Hesitating, Harper finally let him take her hand and bring it through his elbow, amusement flickering in the sly grin that ticked at the corner of her mouth. “I guess if Kari’s going to have a tantrum we might as well give her a reason.”

That was true enough, but he didn’t give a shit about Kari. He couldn’t think of anyone else he’d rather walk in with. “She’ll deal.”

They stopped as they entered the expansive glass room, and the formality and good manners took over. “Enjoy your evening, Kevin. Thank you for keeping me company. And . . .” She hesitated, her eyes looking sad. “I am sorry.”

“Me, too.” He meant that. He really wanted them to work.

Harper took a step back and he caught the shy smile she shot at him before heading to a table with a group of executives and their significant others. Kevin went to the table where his sister and Jason were sitting.

Kari was shooting daggers at both of them.

Grocery shopping was a daily event for Harper. She was still nursing, and it seemed no matter how hard she tried, there was never enough food in the apartment. When she discovered she was pregnant, her days of keeping only Greek yogurt, an apple, and lactose-free milk in her fridge were over. Now she made sure to eat right because keeping her baby fed and being able to keep up with the demands of motherhood and her job required more than take-out Chinese and fruit snacks.

Her neighborhood Gristedes was crowded, as it usually was at five thirty every afternoon. It seemed everyone had to get something for dinner, so as Harper navigated around the narrow aisles, dodging people with carts, baskets, briefcases, and babies, she planned her attack.

First she’d head to the deli for a rotisserie chicken, then to the bakery for some bread, and then to produce for salad fixings. A balanced meal. Oh, and she needed cookies. And toilet paper. And soap.

Looking at her little handheld basket, she realized what she needed was a cart. Too late for that.

She managed to snag the last chicken, but the whole-grain bread she loved was sold out. As she looked at the tomatoes the pickings were slim. Just about to grab a container of cherry tomatoes she felt a warmth crawl up her back. It pricked at her skin and made her flush all over. There was only one person who triggered such awareness. She’d felt it the other night at dinner, that same delicious warmth.

“Harper?”

Yup. It was him.
Shit
. Turning in the direction of the steady baritone, Harper faced Kevin Rossi for the second time in a week. It would be wonderful if seeing more of him would mute the attraction between them, but it only seemed to worsen it.

After their encounter at the Reliance dinner party two nights before, Harper had had gone back to dreaming about him, and considering her sex deprived state, it was no surprise the dreams were wonderfully erotic. Harper could still feel his hands, feel his breath and his mouth . . .

If it was possible, he’d gotten better-looking since the other day. Not that she’d ever complain about seeing him in a dark, tailored suit, but Kevin was much more a jeans-and-thermal kind of guy and he wore them well. Tall and broad, his wavy brown hair looked soft and touchable, but it was still his eyes, those damn sapphire blue eyes, that drilled right into her soul.

Just looking at him made her hot. And really nervous because he was the one person who could destroy her life. That had become evident the other night, when she realized she had no control when Kevin was around.

Remembering there was a box of infant cereal right on top of her basket, Harper grabbed the biggest eggplant she’d ever seen and covered up the baby food, all while praying he’d make this quick. Truthfully, she didn’t want to make it quick. Not seeing him for a year had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but it was necessary, because if Harper had learned anything growing up, it was that she couldn’t depend on anyone. Her life had been one letdown, one disappointment, after another until she learned that she couldn’t trust anyone. Even her family.

But then Kevin smiled and she went all warm and soft inside just like she did the other night.
Weakling.
“How are you?” he asked. “The party seemed to go well.”

“It did go well, and me, um, I’m busy. So, so busy. You know.”
Don’t look at him, Harper. If you do, you’re toast.
She looked.
Ohmygod.

“Are you too busy for drinks or dinner sometime? We didn’t have much of an opportunity to talk the other night.” He’d stuffed his big hands in the pockets of his jeans, and his posture was relaxed and charming. Damn him.

“Um, sure.”
Wait. What?
“I’d love to catch up.”
No, you wouldn’t! Shut up!

“Really? Okay. Great. How about tomorrow? I can pick you up at your place—”

“NO! No. Uh. Tomorrow . . .” Holy shit. She had to calm down. What was she thinking saying yes? How to get out of it, was the problem. What could she say?

That’s when it happened. He touched her.

And just like that, her resolve was gone. Whenever he touched her, he owned her.

Nothing about Kevin had ever been easy. No, that was a lie. Everything had actually been
too
easy. From simple conversations to their chemistry in bed, when he was around, all the armor was off. He relaxed her, centered her. But it was when he touched her that the magic started swirling around.

He was doing it again. It was innocent. Nothing coy or flirtatious. His touch was featherlight, just a brush against her temple as he pushed back an errant lock of hair, and everything shimmered inside and out. Saying no to him was impossible.

She was working from home tomorrow, and Anna’s nanny was back from vacation . . . Why not? It was just a drink, and, okay, they had wicked chemistry, but she could control herself.

“I’ll meet you for a drink.”

“Don’t want me to pick you up?” Oh, that grin. His single dimple revealed itself on his left cheek, and Harper wished she could have words with his genetics for not playing fair. “How about we meet at Harry’s?”

Harry’s was a favorite bar on the Upper West Side. They’d gone there a couple of times when they were dating, before she had her oh-my-God-I’m-pregnant moment.

Definitely not one of her better moments. She left the doctor’s office, went home, ate a pint of Häagen-Dazs butter pecan ice cream, gave away all the wine she had stored up to her neighbors, and then proceeded to cry for six hours. Alone.

When she got through the storm, she came out on the other side with a decision. Kevin Rossi was a bad idea and it was a good thing she broke it off. She and her baby would be fine without him.

Kevin was waiting her out. He watched her every move with his deep blue eyes, and she shivered. Shivered right to her toes and right then, she had the urge to tell him everything. He was staring down at her, waiting for an answer, willing one out of her, and Harper had this sudden need to unburden herself. Right in the middle of the market.

He was so bad for her. She’d carefully constructed her life from the pieces of who she was before. It was an illusion. She was an illusion, and the only part of her that was real was Anna. Her perfect baby.

Their
perfect baby.

Oh, this was too much. He was too much. He took all her well-laid plans, her orderly life, and made her think about the impossible. Should she tell him? Probably. Was she going to? Probably not.

Harper had been around Kevin’s sisters enough to know that the guy wasn’t interested in a commitment or a family. And he’d said it. Out loud.

What he hadn’t talked about out loud was her. His sisters had no idea they had gone on one date, let alone that they’d seen each other for a month. And forget that their relationship went from nothing to pretty serious in record time. Especially for her.

The reality was that Harper had had enough instability in her life that she didn’t want to subject her child to a father who would come and go. She was attracted to Kevin. She genuinely liked him. But she didn’t trust him.

Then again, Harper didn’t really trust anyone.

“You know,” she finally said, “coffee would be better.”

“Coffee?” Confusion flooded his face. Harper totally got it, too. She’d just thwarted his plan of attack. Kevin was thinking drinks, late dinner, sex. The plan was actually a pretty great one, but Harper couldn’t let it happen. Even if it meant giving up multiple orgasms.

“Why don’t I meet you at Corner Brew at five tomorrow?”

“Am I going to have to sit and wait two hours for you?”

“No, why—”

“Because you’re never home at five. Let’s just make it drinks at Harry’s at eight.”

Harper adjusted the basket on her arm. “Coffee. Five. I’ll be there. Take care.”

God, she was proud of herself. As she turned to walk away, her stomach settled. She’d done the right thing. She resisted him, sort of. They needed to keep it platonic, because Kevin Rossi represented a total loss of control. She had evidence of how he scrambled her brain cells back in her apartment. Her chubby little three-month-old was all the proof she needed that Kevin was best kept at arm’s length.

Because when he got close, Harper couldn’t handle it.

***

Coffee? Was she serious? Kevin wanted to spend time with Harper holding her hand in a dark, secluded corner of Harry’s and tell her how much he missed her. He didn’t want a noisy rush-hour coffee date where they glanced over topics ranging from the weather to the price of gas.

He wanted to touch her.

Badly.

Just brushing her hair back a few minutes ago he had the same reaction he’d had at the dinner party the other night. Contact with her set every nerve ending on fire. She was soft and beautiful as always, but different. Observing her retreating form, Kevin noticed the curve of her back and the roundness of her ass. Harper had put a little weight on her slender frame and it looked damn good on her.
Damn good
.

The fact was, he liked her. He liked how she looked, how she felt, and that she challenged him on every level. Challenged him in a way that no woman had before.

Kevin was still watching when Harper stopped at a bin filled with bananas and, after evaluating different pieces of fruit, picked two that were pretty ripe.

He continued staring like some stalker, they locked gazes when she glanced his way, and Harper’s eyes went wide when she saw he was still there and still paying attention. “Way to creep her out, dude,” he mumbled.

But she didn’t turn away. She didn’t seem creeped out. There was something that washed across her face that looked sad, lost. He was about to go to her when she turned and went toward the front of the store.

Every one of Kevin’s instincts told him to follow her. Something wasn’t right, but he knew he was playing with fire. This was not a woman he could charm or direct to do things his way. No, she was strong, fiery, and that’s what made him want her so much.

Harper didn’t need him. But he wanted her to.

Grabbing the loaves of bread he’d promised to bring his sister, Kevin headed to the checkout. He had no idea why Harper had this effect on him. He wasn’t self-destructive. He didn’t believe in taking unnecessary hits to the ego. He liked his ego just the way it was, but every time he encountered Harper Poole he felt like his nuts were in a vise. And what did he do this time? He whined about her possibly being late. Holy shit.

Harper was at the other side of the store, just about done with her shopping when an earsplitting squeal scared the crap out of him.

“HOLY CRAP! It’s you!”

Kevin turned, hating that he’d been recognized, and saw two teenage girls in prep school uniforms pointing at him. One of them was so overcome she was trembling.

Every person in the store had stopped what they were doing to stare at the scene. All he wanted to do was buy the bread and get to his sister’s apartment for dinner.

“You’re Kevin Rossi! Oh, my God. I, like, seriously love you. I swear. I watch baseball because of you.”

Great.
He appreciated his fans, he did, even the ones who didn’t particularly like baseball, but this was going to be a tough one because Harper was standing about twenty feet away, watching him.
Judging him.

One eyebrow shot up and her mouth twisted into a cynical grin. Kevin could practically hear her thinking, and he didn’t like it.

Turning back to the teens, he saw that one of the girls looked embarrassed now. Hopefully she would keep her friend from going completely off the edge. “Tasha,” the fan girl said, handing her friend her phone. “Take a picture, okay?”

She sidled up to him and Kevin leaned in, careful to be appropriate. The girl might have been sixteen, and he’d had more than a few sixteen-year-olds try to cop a feel, so he was aware of her hands at all times.

After a few quick shots, she pulled a permanent marker from her purse and handed it to him. “Would you sign my cheek?”

“Excuse me?” He couldn’t believe that, but sure enough she had her face tilted toward him, fully expecting he would scrawl his name on her face. “Absolutely not. I’m not signing your face.”

“My boob, then?” She moved to unbutton her shirt.

“No!” Kevin exclaimed. “No body parts. Let me sign your bag . . .”

He reached for her tote, only to have it yanked away.

“Are you crazy? This is a
Louis
! It cost a fortune. My mother would kill me.”

Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose, baffled at the priorities. “I think she’d be pretty mad if I signed your face or your—”

“Fine,” she huffed. “Sign this.” The girl handed him her iPad and he happily signed the case. Which was leather and looked expensive, but whatever. No body parts were involved.

Gushing for a little longer, the girls finally went on their way and a couple of men in the store stopped to shake his hand, all while his eyes were trained on the curvy brunette paying for her groceries. Harper finished checking out, smiled at the cashier and then looked back in his direction. This time at least she didn’t look disgusted. She might have even smiled a little.
Small steps
, he thought.

Nodding before she left the store, Kevin thought he might call her later and try to coax her into a drink rather than coffee, but then thought better of it. He had to leave it alone.

He probably should leave her alone, get coffee, swap stories, and let it go.

Unfortunately, Kevin knew he wouldn’t do that. He hadn’t been able to forget about her since that first time they made love a year ago.

He paid for his bread and then hailed a cab once he got onto the street. Once they were in traffic, he instructed the driver to take him to Tribeca, where he was having dinner with his sister Caroline and her husband, Josh. The time of day meant he’d have a lot of time to think, as the car had a long way to go. Josh, who was one of his best friends, had married his youngest sister a year ago, and it was at their wedding that he and Harper had gotten up close and personal in the wine cellar. It was the most memorable sex he’d ever had and the most risky. He hadn’t used protection, and even though he was sure Harper had it covered, he never liked leaving things to chance.